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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. field — farmland
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — size or range
  7. content — the amount
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. field — for sport
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rule — a law
  14. field — a subject
  15. scale — in music
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. content — happy
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pound — a weight
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. rule — to rule out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com